What a difference one win makes.
The combination of the end of Toronto’s 13-game losing streak and a rare day off had the Raptors in high spirits at practice on Super Bowl Sunday at the ACC.
Most of the team’s younger players engaged in an impromptu dunkoff following the practice and in perhaps the surest sign of just how well everybody was feeling, the “old man” of the group, point guard Jose Calderon, even threw down a couple jams of his own.
Saturday’s off-day was the first for the team since Christmas and it came on the heels of Friday’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“The number of games we’ve had in a short period of time and you put in the delays we’ve had with the travel it was nice to get away for a day and they brought some good energy which is good,” head coach Jay Triano said.
“We just needed it,” agreed Calderon of the welcome respite.
“It was getting a little heavy we were losing by a little ... practising hard but couldn’t get a win.”
Calderon was also pleased that he likely will get an important teammate back for Tuesday’s road tilt with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Leandro Barbosa has been out since Jan. 14 but said he expects to play, as long as he makes it through practice on Monday.
Barbosa said he was sore and exhausted — he didn’t even have the strength to get off the trainer’s able to speak with the media — but otherwise happy to be close to a return to action.

Oh yeah, wait for the breathless reports this morning that Trey Johnson has been re-upped on a second 10-day deal.
Timing makes sense, even if it cost him a practice on Sunday.
By waiting until today, it will keep him around through the Miami game right before the all-star break; if they’d done it Saturday or Sunday, he couldn’t have lasted that long without the Raptors having to make a decision keeping him for the rest of the season or letting him go.
Oh, and I think at the end of this stint, unless someone gets hurt in the interim, he’s probably a goner. Bryan will want, and needs, that roster spot going into the trade deadline just in case, and if nothing happens by that date, I think they may as well keep the No. 15 spot open as some revolving tryout spot for the rest of the year.

Coach Jay Triano said the rather lighthearted mood at the end of practice — Sonny Weems, DeMar DeRozan and Joey Dorsey got themselves into an impromptu, joke- and ribbing-filled dunk contest — was not out of the norm.
“They come to work every day and want to get better so I wouldn’t say today was any different than any other day,” he said. “They work hard and we got a lot done today.”
But even he admitted the mood was better because of the one-day break.
“It was nice to get away,” he said. “Just the number of games that we’ve had in a short period of time and then you put in the travel and the delays in some of our travel, it was nice to just get away for a day … they brought some good energy today, which was good.”
Leandro Barbosa, out for almost three weeks with a hamstring injury, practiced and might play Tuesday in Milwaukee while Jerryd Bayless, who missed Friday’s game with Minnesota, couldn’t get through the entire Sunday workout and remains questionable at best.
And while it’s been more than two months since Reggie Evans had surgery on a broken foot, it doesn’t sound like he’ll back this week for games Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
“His progress has been very steady,” Triano said of Evans. “There’s been a little pain the last little bit but they checked it and it’s completely natural.
“I think we’re still looking at probably close to all-star, I’m not sure if we’re going to try to rush to get him back for this week.”

Jose Calderon matched a career high with 19 assists during the Toronto Raptors victory Friday, but the point guard made just two of seven field-goal attempts in the game. And while head coach Jay Triano is impressed with Calderon's play-making ability, he wants to see the Spaniard start making some more shots. "I think some teams will figure out if he's just going to try and pass it 19 times," Triano said Sunday. "He's one of our best shooters and if he makes shots, they're going to respect him more and its going to open up even more things." Calderon is shooting 45% from the field this season ... The Raptors are enjoying a rare three-day break between games -- they play the Bucks in Milwaukee on Tuesday -- which allowed Triano to give the team a full day off on Saturday. "It was nice to get away," the coach said. "The number of games that we've had in a short period of time [14 in 24 days] ... it was nice to just get away for a day."

Leandro Barbosa was so tired after Sunday's practice at the Air Canada Centre that he asked the assembled media to conduct interviews while he lay on a trainer's table beside the court.
The Toronto Raptors guard has been sidelined since mid-January with a right hamstring injury. He hopes to return to the court on Tuesday when the Raptors play in Milwaukee.
Barbosa has missed most of Toronto's 13-game losing streak, which was snapped Friday with a 111-100 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Barbosa worked out with the team Sunday, just his second full practice since suffering the injury. And while it may take some time to regain top form, Barbosa is relieved to be returning.
"It was really tough," he admitted. "You see your team [out] there on the court trying to win games, trying to do the best they could do and, you know, you couldn't be there.
"It was really sad for me. Sometimes -- I won't say depressed -- but you know you get low, so, I don't like to feel that way. I don't like to get hurt, but sometimes we go through bad things and we got to be ready for that."

Sunshine Girl - 07.02.11

Quote:

Lindsay, 20, is a SUNshine Girl thanks to her pal Christine, who has been on these pages twice. Lindsay, like many of our gals, wants to work in the fashion industry and (also keeping the trend alive) likes volleyball, partying and going out to clubs. This 5-foot-7 Libra is unique in that she has a dog named Lola and a cat named pumpkin and loves The Wizard of Oz.

Very hot SSG. But totally outshined by a blonde bombshell.
If you cant look forward to the dismal discussions about our losing team. At least the SSG and the RFG will brighten your day.
You the man ACIE

P.S. Acie, have you figured out if I can get a Newfoundland Flag for my nationality representation. I am a Newfie first and Canadian Second.

Very hot SSG. But totally outshined by a blonde bombshell.
If you cant look forward to the dismal discussions about our losing team. At least the SSG and the RFG will brighten your day.
You the man ACIE

P.S. Acie, have you figured out if I can get a Newfoundland Flag for my nationality representation. I am a Newfie first and Canadian Second.

I think that's a pretty terrible attitude towards a federal government that treats you very well.

I think that's a pretty terrible attitude towards a federal government that treats you very well.

I really dont want to start an arguement on whether the Federal Government treats us well, or whether our resources were raped by foreign trawlers under the acceptance of the federal government. Thats not what i am saying.

I feel great to be a Canadian. I take pride in being a Canadian. But i just feel more pride in being a Newfoundlander. Sorry if that offends you.

I really dont want to start an arguement on whether the Federal Government treats us well, or whether our resources were raped by foreign trawlers under the acceptance of the federal government. Thats not what i am saying.

I feel great to be a Canadian. I take pride in being a Canadian. But i just feel more pride in being a Newfoundlander. Sorry if that offends you.

I am going to do something that I really shouldn't do.....as an admin I am held to a higher standard.....but oh well.

I wish Quebec would leave and take Newfoundland with them. What a dredge on my tax money both provinces are. Seriously why do I need to continue to prop up provinces that can't help themselves and drive down our countries net worth.

Furthermore, choosing a flag inf ront of Canada's is a slap in the face to all the fine men and women that fought and continue to fight to protect us (yes even newfoundland)

Thirdly, it was "new found" along time ago, can we just please call it "land"

I am going to do something that I really shouldn't do.....as an admin I am held to a higher standard.....but oh well.

I wish Quebec would leave and take Newfoundland with them. What a dredge on my tax money both provinces are. Seriously why do I need to continue to prop up provinces that can't help themselves and drive down our countries net worth.

Furthermore, choosing a flag inf ront of Canada's is a slap in the face to all the fine men and women that fought and continue to fight to protect us (yes even newfoundland)

Thirdly, it was "new found" along time ago, can we just please call it "land"

Since you insulted me, I will have to retort.
Newfoundland is not a have-not province. With our oil and fishery revenues we were one of the few provinces to contribute to Canada, instead of take from them. Besides that you wouldnt have anyone working in the Alberta oil field if not for our wonderful ability to procreate healthy strong proud workers.

The fact you are so ignorant to the facts and yet are an administrator to this forum, i feel bad for the rest of us here at RF.

With respect to the men and women fighting. My brother serves in Afghanistan as we speak. And he will always look at himself as a newfoundlander first.

The older I get, the less I seem to care about what I am or where I'm from. I love this country and I'm thankful I was born here. I'm proud of the things we do abroad. That's where it ends though. I used to say I was British and French like it was some big deal. I've never been there and my "people" have been here for 200 years.

Since you insulted me, I will have to retort.
Newfoundland is not a have-not province. With our oil and fishery revenues we were one of the few provinces to contribute to Canada, instead of take from them. Besides that you wouldnt have anyone working in the Alberta oil field if not for our wonderful ability to procreate healthy strong proud workers.

The fact you are so ignorant to the facts and yet are an administrator to this forum, i feel bad for the rest of us here at RF.

With respect to the men and women fighting. My brother serves in Afghanistan as we speak. And he will always look at himself as a newfoundlander first.

just realize that you insulted many initially,.... just sayin'. Imagine where each province would be if they all said fuck the rest of them until I get mine.